Exchange Event 2

Panda, Inumaki, and the twins, Nanako and Mimiko, arrived at the scene to find Maki and Mai in a standoff. "Maki!" Panda shouted, and the group charged forward, only to be intercepted by Mechamaru's puppets.

The twins moved in unison, expertly dispatching several puppets. Nanako aimed for the upper body while Mimiko targeted the lower, tearing through the puppets with ease. Despite their efforts, the sheer number of puppets seemed endless.

Inumaki used his Cursed Speech, commanding, "Don't move!" The puppets froze in place, but Kokichi Muta, controlling them from afar, quickly realized the influence of Cursed Speech on his devices. Regaining control, he continued to swarm the group with his mechanical army.

Panda sent several puppets flying with sheer force, clearing a path. "Panda! Go ahead and find the remaining curses; this is between us," Maki shouted, dodging bullets with acrobatic precision. However, she was hit in the abdomen. "Gah!"

"OK," Panda responded, leading the group away as they trusted Maki to handle the situation.

"Although they are rubber bullets, they still hurt—a lot," Mai said, keeping her distance and continuing to fire. "Bullets travel faster than movement, especially when enhanced by Cursed Energy."

The battle between the Zenin twins, Maki and Mai, was a clash of contrasting abilities and strategies. Maki, with her sheer physical speed and power thanks to her Heavenly Restriction, charged towards Mai, who expertly utilized firearms and ranged attacks. 

As Maki dashed forward, Mai retreated into the cover of the trees, producing a smoke grenade with her Cursed Technique. She threw it towards Maki, who sliced it in half, but the resulting smoke clouded the battlefield. Mai quickly set traps in the trees and bushes, her movements swift and precise. She then donned her goggles, allowing her to see Maki's thermal image through the smoke.

Maki, unaware of Mai's thermal vision, zigzagged through the smoke in an attempt to confuse her sister. Shots rang out, hitting Maki in the thigh, left arm, and torso, forcing her to grit her teeth and emerge from the smoke. She saw Mai in the distance and deftly sliced through the incoming bullets.

However, as Maki stepped forward, she triggered one of Mai's traps. With quick reflexes, she dodged it and leapt onto the trees, thinking she had outsmarted Mai. But another trap ensnared her whole body in ropes when she landed on a branch. "Maki, you fool. Did you really think I wouldn't account for your Heavenly Restricted body?" Mai smirked, repeatedly shooting her sister.

Doubling the ropes, Mai secured Maki tightly to the tree. "You know, Maki, there was a time when I thought I'd drag you down no matter what it took, as payback for leaving me and the clan. I wanted to be your deadweight, keeping you from progressing," Mai said, her voice cold.

A memory of her mentor, Hiroshi, flickered in her mind. "But someone changed my mind. He gave me power, he gave me a better goal—to surpass everyone, or at least surpass you. I'll be honest, Maki... no, Little Sister," Mai said provocatively. "You were born with something I didn't have—the willpower to keep moving forward. I hated that, but it has changed now. I don't need to prove myself to you or to our father."

As her phone rang (since her earpiece had been destroyed by Maki earlier), Mai answered. "Mechamaru, Maki has been neutralized," she reported.

"Knock her out for good measure, then rendezvous with Kamo and deal with Megumi Fushiguro," Mechamaru instructed.

"Got it," Mai replied. She aimed at Maki between the eyes and invoked her Construction Technique: "Concussive Bullet."

"Good night, Maki. By the time you wake up, we will have already won," Mai said. She pulled the trigger, and all Maki felt was a sharp pain in her mind before darkness enveloped her.

A few minutes later, the intense battle between Nobara Kugisaki and Miwa Kasumi was underway.

Nobara fired off nails towards Miwa, who expertly parried them with her katana. Miwa closed the gap quickly, engaging in fierce melee combat. Nobara used her hammer to defend herself from Miwa's katana slashes, but the relentless pressure from Miwa made it difficult for her to create any distance.

"Tsk! She's not letting me," Nobara thought, noting Miwa's dead serious expression as she pressed her attack.

The fight reached a critical point when Miwa's katana sliced through the handle of Nobara's hammer, leaving Nobara at a disadvantage and holding her at knifepoint. "Not bad, Kugisaki Nobara. In a few years, you will be an excellent sorcerer, but I must ask you to surrender," Miwa said.

"Well, I wouldn't be so sure about surrendering," Nobara replied, a hint of defiance in her voice. Just as she was about to snap her fingers to activate her cursed technique and implode all the nails around her and Miwa, she was suddenly struck by a rubber bullet, knocking her out instantly.

Miwa turned to see Mai, who had fired the shot. "Mai, all done? Thanks," Miwa said.

"Let's go exorcise the remaining curses and win this. We still have to help Kamo with fighting Megumi," Mai replied.

As Mai and Miwa began to close in on Noritoshi Kamo's location, Momo's voice came over the comms. "I've found the Grade 2 Curse, but Panda, Inumaki, and the Twins are going for it as well. Sending you all the image and location," Momo said as she transmitted the information to their phones.

"I've run out of puppets. Momo and I will proceed to intercept Panda's group," Mechamaru said, sprinting towards the location and leaving his vantage point.

"Roger that, we are reinforcing Kamo," Mai replied.

"No, Mai and Miwa, please move towards Panda's group. I'll do my best to delay Fushiguro. Go for the win," Noritoshi Kamo's voice came over the comms.

"Roger that. Good luck, Kamo," Mai said.

As Noritoshi Kamo spoke, he dodged a lightning bolt thrown by Megumi's Shikigami, Dragon. He activated his Flowing Red Scale technique, enhancing his speed as he aimed at Megumi, who was trying to break away atop Dragon.

"If you keep this up, I'll really do my best," Megumi warned, his eyes narrowing in focus.

"Please do; otherwise, you're not getting past me, Zenin Megumi!" Noritoshi Kamo retorted, sending a flurry of arrows towards Megumi.

As Megumi and Dragon flew, Megumi put his hands together and summoned another Shikigami, "Totality: Merged Beast Qirin!" A massive white tiger emerged from the skies, lunging at Noritoshi Kamo. Despite dodging, Noritoshi Kamo did not let up; even as he evaded Qirin, he continued to fire arrows at Dragon. Dragon, with its vast wingspan, had to perform agile maneuvers to avoid the homing arrows, its serpentine body weaving through the air with precision.

"You're persistent, Kamo!" Megumi shouted, his eyes narrowing as he focused on controlling both Shikigami.

Noritoshi smirked, not letting the pressure get to him. "This is nothing, Fushiguro! I'll keep you grounded if it takes everything I have."

Qirin roared as it lunged again, its massive paws creating shockwaves as they hit the ground near Kamo. Noritoshi leapt to the side, using his Flowing Red Scale to increase his speed, narrowly avoiding Qirin's strike. He fired another volley of blood-coated arrows, aiming not just at Dragon but at Megumi himself, forcing the young sorcerer to constantly shift his position atop Dragon.

As Qirin charged, Noritoshi Kamo swiftly threw a blood bag at it, forming it into bindings. "Crimson Bindings," he chanted, and the blood wrapped around Qirin, halting its movements. In quick succession, Kamo used two more blood bags, gathering the blood into a compressed orb. "Convergence!" he called out, releasing a geyser of blood that shot through Qirin. "Piercing Blood!"

The attack pierced Qirin with incredible force, and the mighty Shikigami roared in agony before it was exorcised, dissolving into nothingness.

Noritoshi Kamo's persistent blockade of Megumi lasted for more than ten minutes, during which he utilized every ounce of his blood manipulation technique. His determination to stop Megumi resulted in a deathly pale complexion, but he refused to give up.

In that intense period, Kamo managed to shoot down Dragon, forcing Megumi to the ground. With both sorcerers on foot, a close-quarters brawl ensued. Each movement was calculated and fierce, neither giving an inch. As Kamo swung, Megumi parried and retaliated with a two-piece combination, left and right. Kamo absorbed the blows with remarkable resilience, grabbing Megumi by the shirt and slamming him to the ground with a judo technique.

Megumi hit the ground hard but reacted swiftly, kicking Kamo in the stomach and forcing him to step back. The fight was brutal and unyielding, with both sorcerers displaying incredible tenacity.

Kamo, now breathing heavily, held his bow with his last arrow nocked and ready. Just as he prepared to release it, Mechamaru's voice crackled through his earpiece, "Good job, Kamo. We have won."

Noritoshi's resolve wavered momentarily at the announcement. His body, pushed to its limits, showed signs of relief and exhaustion. He lowered his bow, acknowledging the effort they both put into the fight. "It's over, Fushiguro," he said, his voice tinged with exhaustion but also respect.

Megumi, though breathing hard stood firm. He knew they had fought valiantly. As Megumi sat down, reflecting on the day's events, he muttered, "I failed. This is the first time I've been beaten outside of my mentor's training." He glanced at the unconscious Kamo beside him and thought, "We still have the second round tomorrow. We'll take it back."

Suddenly, he realized Kamo wasn't just resting; he was genuinely unconscious from the exhaustion and blood loss. Alarmed, Megumi quickly approached him. "Oi! Kamo!" he called out, shaking him gently. Seeing no response, he placed his hands over Kamo's body and channeled the Reverse Cursed Technique, focusing on healing his friend.

The exertion took a toll on Megumi as well, but he pushed through, determined to help Kamo recover. Slowly, Kamo's pallor improved, and his breathing steadied. "You owe me one," Megumi muttered with a faint smile as he finished the healing.

The battle between the Kyoto and Tokyo students had many restrictions, including a strict rule against lethal force. This limitation meant that many of the sorcerers' techniques, including Megumi's Shikigami, were far weaker than they would have been in a true fight to the death. Megumi knew that if it had been a life-or-death situation, perhaps only Aoi Todo would have survived the onslaught of his Shikigami and techniques.

Panda, Inumaki, and the twins Nanako and Mimiko found the Grade 2 cursed spirit, an enormous, elephant-sized creature. "There it is!" Panda gestured towards the monstrous spirit. "Tuna Mayo," Inumaki murmured, signaling his readiness.

"Wind Blades!" Momo Nishimiya unleashed waves of wind blades, halting the group's advance.

"Nishimiya," Panda acknowledged as he squared up. "Salmon Roe," Inumaki added, refusing to back down.

"That's as far as you go, Panda," Momo declared, determined to stop them.

"No," Panda retorted firmly, "Fish Flakes," Inumaki concurred.

Suddenly, Kokichi Muta, controlling his puppet Ultimate Mechamaru, stood in their path. "Sword Option," Mechamaru announced as his hand transformed into sharp claws.

"2v4?" Nanako asked, noting the numbers.

"Correction, 4v4," Mai arrived with Miwa, evening the odds.

The fight erupted instantly. Mechamaru used his thrusters to speed towards Panda, engaging him in a fierce battle. Miwa clashed with Nanako, while Mai faced off against Inumaki, and Momo fought Mimiko.

"Don't Move!" Inumaki cast his cursed speech, attempting to immobilize his opponents. However, Mai quickly countered by pointing to the earmuffs she was wearing. "Nice try. If I can't hear you, then you can't do anything," she taunted. Forced into hand-to-hand combat, Inumaki found himself at a disadvantage as Mai shot at him, keeping him on the defensive.

Miwa and Nanako's fight was a showcase of skill and strategy, with Miwa wielding her katana and Nanako leveraging her cursed technique through her phone. Miwa, with the reach advantage of her sword, was a deadly opponent, skilled in the art of swordsmanship. However, Nanako had her own unique advantage—her cursed technique, which allowed her to manipulate objects and people within the photographs she took, provided she had enough cursed energy.

Nanako's objective was clear: she needed to take a photo of Miwa to gain control over her sword or use her abilities to turn the tide of the battle. However, Miwa was relentless, not giving Nanako any opportunity to capture a clear shot. Their fight was a dance of steel and strategy, with Miwa's katana clashing against Nanako's evasive maneuvers.

As daughters of one of the strongest sorcerers, Nanako and Mimiko were well-equipped with the basics of combat. Nanako's agility and skill allowed her to hold her own against Miwa, despite the latter's formidable swordsmanship. Both sorcerers were near equal in grade—Miwa a Grade 3 sorcerer and Nanako a Grade 2 sorcerer.

Nanako bided her time, looking for the perfect moment to use her phone. Miwa, on the other hand, was in constant attack mode, not giving Nanako a moment's respite. Miwa's inability to use her Simple Domain offensively put her at a slight disadvantage, as she could only use it for counter-attacks, unlike her mentor Kusakabe who was adept at using Simple Domains for both offense and defense.

In a critical moment, Miwa swung her sword in a wide arc, aiming to land a decisive blow. Nanako saw her chance. She moved swiftly, sidestepping the blade and executing a precise disarm technique. With a quick palm strike to Miwa's abdomen, she knocked the wind out of her opponent. Miwa staggered, her grip on the sword faltering. Nanako followed up with another strike, and Miwa fell to the ground, unconscious.

Mechamaru noticed that Miwa was out of the fight and saw Nanako heading towards Momo, who was fighting Mimiko. "Nishimiya, Miwa is out cold, and the other twin is heading towards you," Mechamaru warned Nishimiya Momo, who was sending wind slashes at Mimiko. "Huh? How?" Nishimiya asked, puzzled by how quickly Miwa was taken out. However, in the moment she questioned this, she realized her broom was gone and fell from the sky. Nanako, who had taken a picture of Nishimiya, was now holding her broom.

Mimiko took the chance to catch Nishimiya and put her down between herself and her sister. "Surrender," Mimiko said. "Otherwise, fight both of us," Nanako added in perfect sync.

Nishimiya, seeing her broom in Nanako's possession, realized that it was over for her and raised her hand in surrender. "Mechamaru, Mai, I lost too," she said.

Mechamaru heard this and communicated with Mai, "Mai, Momo and Miwa are out; we are running out of options," he said hurriedly.

"I'm approaching your location," Mai said as she glanced at the unconscious Inumaki, whom she had defeated. However, with the Twins and Panda, it was a 2v3 situation.

"Alright," Mechamaru replied as he blocked an attack from Panda. "Ultra Shield!" he exclaimed as his arm transformed into a spiked limb and blocked attacks from Panda.

With Miwa and Momo out of the fight, the battle was heavily tilted in Tokyo's favor.

Mechamaru engaged in hand-to-hand combat with Panda. Wood and metal squeaked as the puppet staved off assaults from Panda. "ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA," Panda's fists hit hard.

As Mai was about to reach Mechamaru, the sound of flesh banging against Mechamaru's iron and wood body could be heard.

She caught a glimpse of Panda and aimed at him; however, she was attacked by the Twins. Nanako aimed at her head while Mimiko targeted her legs.

"You," Nanako said.

"Are our opponent," Mimiko said in sync.

"Tsk," Mai clicked her tongue as she scattered her traps. However, they disappeared. "What?" she was baffled. "Looking for these?" Nanako asked as she deleted the pictures on her phone.

"I see it's got something to do with her cursed technique," Mai thought.

Mai fought the Twins, keeping her distance and hiding among the trees. However, each time Mai sought refuge in the trees, they would disappear. "What an annoying technique," Mai thought as she watched Nanako take photos of the trees.

As Nanako kept Mai busy, Mimiko intensely watched Panda's fight, her eyes aglow with cursed energy as she imbued the doll with it. Mimiko's cursed technique was akin to Nobara's, albeit one-directional. Unlike Nobara's technique, which she could activate with a snap of her fingers, Mimiko's required time to activate, and her gaze had to remain fixed on her opponent.

Cursed Technique Hangman was its name. When the cursed energy absorption from the doll ceased, Mimiko quickly hanged the doll with a rope. Instantly, Mechamaru, who was fighting Panda, was lifted up by the neck. Panda noticed this and glanced at Mimiko nearby, realizing her involvement. Panda smacked his arm at the now-hanging Mechamaru, destroying the puppet.

"Shit!" Kokichi cursed. "I'm sorry, Mai. It's all on you now," Kokichi said over the comms.

"Don't worry; I got this," Mai said confidently, though in truth, it was her way of cheering herself up. She didn't exactly know how to win this 1v3. She herself was a Special Grade 1 like Mechamaru; however, facing a semi-Grade 2 sorcerer like Panda and Grade 2 sorcerers like Mimiko and Nanako was going to be difficult.

The fight continued unabated as Mai barraged her opponents with bullets. This forced Mimiko and Nanako to seek cover in the trees, while Panda charged directly at her. Mai sidestepped Panda's charge, deftly dodging his incoming paws. She sensed Mimiko's gaze fixed on her, holding the doll, and she felt a foreboding sensation. Quickly, she produced a smoke grenade and hurled it around her, effectively concealing her from sight.

"That girl with the doll has something to do with sight, as does the girl with the camera. Suguru Geto's daughters, and Panda is going to keep charging me," Mai thought, realizing something. She didn't have to fight; all she needed to do was exorcise the Grade 2 cursed spirit. However, she had to mask her intentions, lest the others realize her plan as well. "Then I fight."

Spotting the Grade 2 cursed spirit nearby, leisurely strolling around, Mai formulated her plan. "Flashbang, then shoot," she thought as she conjured flashbangs using her cursed technique. "Exorcising a Grade 2 spirit will drop my cursed energy low, but it's a risk worth taking."

As the smoke cleared, Mai tossed the flashbangs around, causing irritation and temporary blindness to Mimiko and Nanako, while Panda charged forward with his eyes closed. Seizing the opportunity, Mai threw ensnaring traps in Panda's path and a smoke grenade at the twins' location. She sprinted towards the Grade 2 cursed spirit, her twin pistols transforming into a sniper rifle.

"Construction: Disintegration Bullet," she muttered as she fired the bullet. Simultaneously, as the bullet left the chamber, Panda caught her, leaving Mai astonished. "Impossible!" she thought, realizing Panda had broken the steel cables of her ensnaring traps with sheer strength—traps that even Maki couldn't escape.

"We win, Mai," Panda declared as the twins surrounded her.

"No, Panda, we win," Mai replied softly as her bullet hit the Grade 2 cursed spirit, causing it to shriek and disintegrate.

Panda quickly realized that he had heard Mai fire off a shot right before he caught her. "It can't be," he muttered as he witnessed the disintegrating Grade 2 spirit.

Hiroshi's voice boomed from the announcer, declaring, "Kyoto has exorcised the Grade 2 cursed spirit. Kyoto wins!"